(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-125A-2B, OH

Coin Details

Description

Civil War store card issued by J.A. Meyer of Canton, Ohio. Ohio's extensive commercial networks across dozens of cities generated an unparalleled body of merchant token issues during the 1862-1864 coin shortage. J.A. Meyer issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. This brass striking (Fuld 125A-2B) is common to somewhat scarce among the known varieties. Like the majority of Civil War store cards, this token is undated, produced during the acute 1862-1864 small change crisis. Token manufacturers struck pieces by the thousands, using hand-fed screw presses capable of producing several hundred tokens per hour. Civil War tokens addressed a practical problem: the wartime disappearance of federal small change made daily transactions nearly impossible without private substitutes. Brass tokens are moderately available, with their yellowish color distinguishing them from the standard copper issues.

Rarity Notes

Brass strikings are among the more available metal variants, though typically less common than copper. With 9 cataloged varieties, J.A. Meyer was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 125A-2B